Pop culture network Uproxx is partnering with Uninterrupted, the media company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter—a tie-up being pitched to advertisers as a way to reach zealous fan communities at the intersection of music and sports.
A pitch deck shared with Ad Age—and provided below—offers an inside look into how Uproxx is framing its foray into sports content. It’s also a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how digital media brands go to market with some of the biggest sports celebrities on the planet to produce the shows that wind up populating platforms from YouTube to TikTok.
The pitch deck features James prominently in the sales material, alongside other athletes and pop culture figures. Pricing starts at a mid-six-figure level for social activations around specific cultural moments and increases for larger and more premium takeovers, a source familiar with the offerings told Ad Age.
Uproxx is pulling from a familiar playbook as it tries to appeal to younger consumers who gravitate toward digital series led by well-known creators and stars. Uproxx also unveiled a “Love Island”-themed series at NewFronts, the annual advertising sales showcase, that it pitched as a way to tap into the show’s fandom.
This year’s digital NewFronts was replete with online video and connected TV providers working with creators and media companies. There has been a surge in interest from brands in highly produced digital series that, in some cases, rival TV, Ad Age reported during NewFronts. Sports are also a constant theme, as brands look to hitch their wagons to key events such as the World Cup, NBA Finals and Olympics.
Uproxx’s programming with Uninterrupted is meant to capitalize on the natural harmony between music and sports fandoms, according to the pitch deck. The brand sees more than 160 million U.S. viewers each month, at least 79 million of whom are also sports fans, the deck states. Uproxx also claimed that its partnerships with major sports networks drive an increase in average incremental reach for media buys of 146%, as well as a 25% boost in ad recall among males aged 18 to 34.
Uproxx’s partnership with Uninterrupted hinges on three new video content series. “Cross Training” brings together a basketball player and musician to talk shop and trade tips. “Spin the Block” also joins an athlete with a musician, though the theme is the fact that they share a hometown; the series follows them as they revisit locations that were important to their development. “Watch Party” is a sports show billed as a “semi-chaotic atmosphere” for viewing games, listening to commentary and witnessing an occasional celebrity drop-in.
Each series offers a general sponsorship of an episode and opportunities for product integrations. “Cross Training” advertisers can sponsor prompts that are used to help the athlete and musician swap tips. In “Watch Party,” advertisers can sponsor games, challenges, prop bets and other activities that occur during the show, as well as activate branding within the show’s studio.
The launch date for the first episodes is still being determined. The original series and sponsorships are likely part of Uproxx’s agenda as it attends the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this week. Jarret Myer, CEO of Uproxx, spoke at Sport Beach on Tuesday on a panel about the creator TV era.
“[Audiences] move fluidly from the arena to the studio to YouTube to the living room screen, following the athletes, artists and stories that shape their identity,” Myer told Ad Age in an email, adding “we see a major opportunity to build premium programming around that behavior.”
Source AdAge: https://adage.com/media/aa-ad-pitch-deck-for-uproxx-lebron-james-uninterrupted/
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